Chengtian Temple | Immersive experience of temple culture~ Beautiful and magnificent, the beauty of ancient architecture~

Chengtian Temple is located on the east side of Nanjun Lane opposite Chengtian Lane in the center of Quanzhou City, also known as Yuetai Temple. It's hard to imagine that such a vast temple is hidden inside a temple gate that is not conspicuous on the fashionable Nanjun Road. Chengtian Temple was originally the southern garden of the Five Dynasties' Jiedushi Liu Congxiao, and the temple was built from the end of the Baoda period of the Southern Tang Dynasty to the beginning of the Zhongxing period, initially named 'Nan Chan Temple'. In the fourth year of the Jingde period of the Northern Song Dynasty, it was renamed Chengtian Temple, and the existing temple was rebuilt in the 30th year of the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty (1692). The Daxiong Hall of Chengtian Temple is a five-entry deep building with a hanging mountain top and double eaves, which is majestic and solemn. The corridor starts from the Drum Tower and Nanjing Drum Tower, and there is a nearly 150-meter-long wooden plank road on both sides, connecting the Maitreya Hall, Daxiong Hall, and Dharma Hall. The corridor Buddha statue gallery has a unique style with reddish bas-relief patterns reaching more than two meters and twenty-four heavenly images. Inside the hall, there are two banyan trees with a crown diameter of about 200 years, and other various green plants in the temple also make this place more refreshing. There are also some pigeons in the temple that are not afraid of people. This was also once the place where Master Hongyi preached and preached. The mountain gate pillar has a couplet written by Master Hongyi: 'There is boundless freedom, enter the non-dual Dharma gate.' Inside the temple, you can also find the 'place where Master Hongyi reincarnated'. But what is more worth going to is the small hill behind the reincarnation place, where you can sit and read, making people linger. You can also sit under the big banyan tree in a daze, listening to the subtle chanting, smelling the faint incense, and letting the restless heart settle down. Tickets🎫: Free 🎫Free to the public ⏰05:00—17:00🈺Stop entering after 16:30 🚌You can take multiple buses in the city to the 'Chengtian Temple' station Play time: Half an hour is enough 🌟 Tour highlights: 1⃣Mountain gate: (Temple entrance) The word 'Yuetai' is hung on the door, and on both sides is the couplet written by Master Hongyi 'There is boundless freedom, enter the non-dual Dharma gate'. 2⃣Seven Buddha Pagodas and 'Quannan Buddha Country': After passing the mountain gate, there is a long east-west corridor. Under the huge banyan tree, there are seven stone pagodas standing, known as the Seven Buddha Pagodas. At the end of the corridor, the four big characters 'Quannan Buddha Country' on the wall were written by Zhang Ruitu, one of the four great calligraphers of the Ming Dynasty. 3⃣Yuetai Branch: The residence of Master Hongyi. 'Outside the long pavilion, beside the ancient road, the fragrant grass is green and connected to the sky...' This song written by Master Hongyi (Li Shutong) has been sung for a hundred years. Master Hongyi has a deep connection with Chengtian Temple. The last 14 years of his life were spent in Quanzhou, his household registration was in Chengtian Temple, this was his most common residence, and also his reincarnation place (cremation place). 3⃣The treasure of the temple-Sui Dynasty bronze cast Amitabha Buddha: Enshrined in the Dharma Hall, the statue is two meters high and weighs more than a ton, which is rare in China. 4⃣Song Dynasty stone sutra pagoda: In front of the Wenshu Hall after the Dharma Hall, the carving is exquisite and basically well preserved. It is octagonal, about 7 meters high, and carves the Zunsheng Sutra (but most of them have been weathered and peeled off), and the bas-reliefs include Buddha statues, lotus petals, mountain and water wave patterns, etc. 5⃣Ying Mountain: A small hill in the temple, one of the famous old eight scenes of Quanzhou 'Ying Mountain Evening Cloud' is here. Although Ying Mountain is not high, it only takes a few steps to reach the top, but it can also take in the scattered red tiles and colorful ridge decorations inside Chengtian Temple. ⚠️Precautions ❌Men step over the door with their left foot and women with their right foot, do not step on the threshold ❌Don't dress revealingly, don't wear shorts or short skirts ❌Don't take pictures inside the hall, don't take pictures of Buddha statues